EDITORIAL: Around the world

Friday, February 1, 2013

Excerpts of editorial opinion from newspapers in the U.S. and abroad:

San Francisco Chronicle on Boy Scout gay policy:

At long last, the Boy Scouts are living up to their professed ideals of fairness and respect by reconsidering a ban on gays. It's an overdue sign that the organization can square its beliefs with changing American views.

The organization, which marked its 100th anniversary in 2010, might have thought that time could stand still and public awareness could be tamed. But corporate donors withdrew funds, and board members rethought their stand. Recently, President Obama mentioned gays for the first time in an inaugural address.

The result is that the Scouts might be reconsidering their ill-chosen stand at an upcoming national board meeting.

Boy Scout Law asks youths to be friendly, courteous and kind, among other qualities. It's time to add tolerant and respectful to the list.

Savannah (Ga.) Morning News on the "No Budget, No Pay" bill:

A bipartisan majority of the U.S. House has approved legislation that would withhold the pay of members of Congress if they fail to pass a budget resolution, which is included in their job descriptions.

The measure directs both the House and Senate to pass budget resolutions by April 15.

That gives Congress and President Obama a few more months to agree to spending cuts -- something the Democrats wouldn't do as part of the deal to avoid going over the so-called fiscal cliff.

The Democratic-controlled Senate hasn't passed a budget in four years. That's inexcusable. It's also a violation of the 1874 Budget Control Act.

Putting members of Congress on the spot -- Republicans as well as Democrats -- is overdue. If duty alone won't make them do their jobs, maybe the threat of going without paychecks will.

The Jerusalem Post on stopping Syrian chemical weapon use:

The government's decision to deploy Iron Dome in Haifa for the first time may or may not be tied to concerns over a chemical weapon attack emanating from Syria. But the dispatching of National Security Council head Yaakov Amidror to Moscow definitely was.

According to The New York Times, already in November, our military commanders discussed with the Pentagon troubling intelligence showing up on satellite imagery. Syrian troops appeared to be mixing chemicals at two storage sites -- most likely the colorless, odorless deadly nerve agent sarin -- and filling dozens of 500-pound bombs that could be dropped from airplanes.

Now, as the situation continues to deteriorate in Syria, and rebels gain ground outside President Bashar Assad's strongholds near Damascus and Aleppo -- including, reportedly, near two chemical weapons installations -- fears have grown that either Assad will use these out of desperation, or that jihadists or extremist organizations such as Hezbollah will get their hands on them. Conceivably, chemical weapons could be loaded in missile heads and launched at Israel.

Thankfully, there is a broad consensus -- which includes Russia, one of Assad's few backers - that resorting to chemical weapons is a red line that must not be crossed, and that the Syrian regime must be stopped before it does. Less clear are the means that need to be taken to achieve that end in the most expedient way possible.